Why is car Diagnostics important
Modern day Vehicles electronic systems these days are complex mobile computing devices. They consist of hundreds of electronic modules and kilometers of wiring to interconnect these systems. You may sit in the driver seat but most of the sophisticated vehicle these days are the ones in control. These electronic systems relay data to each system in microseconds but when the system receives data that does not correlate to its predetermined program value it registers this in its memory. Should this fault re-occur constantly then the electronic controller (ECU) registers this as fault code which normally illuminates the check engine light or engine management light on. This process occurs at bit rates of up to 4000 values per second in communication
The Process [Car Diagnostic]
How to perform car diagnostic
Now a lot of people believe that if you run a diagnostic test on the vehicle and clear this fault the vehicle will be fine but in most cases it’s not as simple as this. The misconception by most mechanics are to clear the faults and see what happens. It like a surgeon thinking that an ECG test is going to fix your heart problem. It is only a tool that gives the user a visual representation of the fault identified by the ECU. The diagnostic scan tool itself is an expensive multimeter. It reads voltage, current and resistance in the form of fault code values. Each fault code value corresponds to a specific data function within a component.
Car Diagnostic Scan Basic
Once a diagnostic scan is completed. It’s now the experts who know how to proceed. Remembering that clearing the fault isn’t a fix. We now look at critical data values within the component called actual values. Once we have established that the actual values are withing the specified guidelines. We then conduct component testing.
Car Diagnostic Expert Level
Component testing is the next level in the diagnostic or fault-finding process. This is the most intricate and complicated process that most technicians cannot perform due to technical training or experience. Component tests require the technician to physically measure the voltage, resistance & current in the wiring side of the vehicle and the component side of the vehicle. This will establish if the component, wiring, or electronic control unit is faulty
Car Diagnostic Master Level
Once the component testing is completed the reading, reports and findings are now compiled into a diagnostic assessment report. This is a detail reports on the customers complain, fault, symptoms, and findings.
Too often most in-experience technicians just to conclusion and read the fault as the fault on the vehicle
Now I am not going to bore you with a whole lot of information because I can speak for hours on this topic. But when this type of fault is identified most technicians fail because of a lack of understanding and insufficient equipment to conduct testing and interrogation of these systems
What we do best in Car Diagnostic
We apply our 5 golden rules steps to all diagnostic faults
- Identify the fault and the system in which it occurred
- Verify customer’s issues and validate the faults found to the issues mentioned
- Conduct a test 10 times replace once approach on these faults
- Rectify faulty components and test. Thereafter simulate faults by retracing your steps
- Validate repairs & data to identify cause of failure
We have found that over the years these testing methods have worked wonders in our business because it takes the guess work out and allows our technicians to test, understand and repair just about any electronic system. But this obviously requires state of the art diagnostic equipment and training. Remember that the best equipment is only as good as the person using them.
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